Los Angeles Jewish Health: Energizing Senior Life

For new Los Angeles Jewish Health rabbi Marc Kraus, there’s something special about working in a residential community.“So many rabbis only have a chance to engage with their communities weekly, monthly, or even annually when they come to synagogue. But, at Los Angeles Jewish Health, I get to see people every day and to develop deep pastoral connections with them,” he says. “Finding this job was a dream come true.”Rabbi Kraus arrived at LAJH this summer as campus rabbi for Eisenberg Village, joining Rabbi Karen Bender, who serves as the organization’s chief mission officer. In his brief tenure, he has already gotten the flavor of what makes LAJH’s community unique.“It’s so wonderful to be part of this huge village in the middle of Reseda,” he says. “I’ve been breaking bread with residents at every meal, getting to know them and seeing just how beautiful Jewish life here really is. I feel so incredibly welcomed.”Rabbi Marc KrausA native of London, Rabbi Kraus has been in the U.S. since 2010. After completing his undergraduate degree in Hebrew literature at Oxford, he received his rabbinic ordination from American Jewish University and a Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from William & Mary. Over the course of his professional career, Rabbi Kraus has served as both a pulpit rabbi and a licensed marriage and family therapist.“I’m a spiritual seeker, an academic, and a therapist,” he says. “I believe my diverse experience—whether it was facilitating Orthodox Jewish holiday services in England as a teenager, spending time at an egalitarian yeshiva in Jerusalem, tending to a Conservative synagogue congregation in Virginia, or logging thousands of hours as a marriage and family counselor—has prepared me well to provide LAJH residents with pastoral services that help them find meaning in their everyday lives.”Avoiding denominational labels is central to Rabbi Kraus’ rabbinic approach. “I see myself as a facilitator of people’s Jewish journeys, no matter where they’re coming from,” he says. “I think there is a lot of wisdom in every denomination, and my goal is to meet LAJH residents where they are—recognizing where they’re coming from and adapting accordingly. Ultimately, I want to help people connect with their spirituality in whatever way is most resonant for them.”Singing is another of Rabbi Kraus’ key areas of focus. “Music is such a powerful way to bring people together. As a vocalist, I feel being able to sing is a gift—and being able to share that gift with others is blessing,” he says.Rabbi Bender notes that the many blessings Rabbi Kraus brings are being felt by LAJH residents far and wide. “It is a mitzvah to ‘find yourself a rabbi,’ and we feel truly blessed to have found Rabbi Kraus—and even more so that he has chosen to join the LAJH family,” she says. “He is a gifted scholar, a soulful singer, and a deeply compassionate pastoral presence. In just his first month, he has already inspired minds and touched hearts across our community. We are profoundly grateful to welcome him as the rabbi for both Eisenberg Village and Fountainview at Eisenberg Village.”In the coming weeks and months, Rabbi Kraus looks forward to meeting as many members of the LAJH family as possible. His energy and enthusiasm are nothing short of infectious.“I was overjoyed on the day I started at LAJH,” he says, “and my excitement has only grown every day since.”Rabbi Kraus speaks to residents of the Newman Building 

Each year, millions of people in this country are helped by psychotropic medications—drugs that affect the mind, emotions, and behavior and that can play an important positive role in regulating mental health. These medications can be life-changing. They also carry serious risks and dangerous consequences, particularly for older adults.Despite their potential danger, psychotropic drugs (including a class known as anti-psychotics) are often prescribed for older adults, including those residing in long-term care facilities and especially those with dementia. Government and other health regulators require nursing homes to report data on the number of residents they serve that are on anti-psychotics, and the numbers in many facilities across the county show widespread use.An important initiative at Los Angeles Jewish Health is addressing this issue head-on and is implementing innovative ways to reduce seniors on psychotropic drugs while improving their overall health. Thanks to a close collaboration between doctors with expertise in geriatrics, nurses, pharmacists, and social workers at LAJH, residents are increasingly showing dramatic health improvements—and even thriving—without these risky medications.“The use of antipsychotic medications in nursing homes in the U.S. is a significant problem,” says Noah Marco, MD, CMD, LAJH’s chief medical officer. “For residents with dementia, the instinct to prescribe the drugs is perhaps understandable: They often exhibit behaviors that are difficult to manage with non-medication treatments, a challenge complicated by the lack of FDA- and insurance-approved medications for the agitation caused by Alzheimer’s dementia.”Aida Oganesyan. Dr. Noah Marco, Ilana SpringerTo address this challenge, LAJH has created a new process, bringing an interdisciplinary team together on a monthly basis to review the cases of residents who are on psychotropics and to identify safe and effective ways to reduce or eliminate the use of the drugs for those individuals.  The protocol is yielding impressive results.“Thanks to the dedicated and compassionate clinicians and staff at LAJH, we’ve achieved a 49% reduction of anti-psychotic medication use from the fourth quarter of 2023 to the second quarter of 2025,” Dr. Marco says. “The new numbers put us well below the state average for usage rates—and we accomplished this without increasing prescriptions of other psychotropic medications.”The LAJH teams’ strategy has been driven by a focus on seeking alternate treatments tailored to the individual needs of each specific resident.“We’re working to put gradual dose reductions in place, prioritizing non-pharmacological interventions to support residents’ wellbeing instead of medications,” says Ilana Springer, LAJH’s senior vice president of In-Residence Services. “Often, that translates to learning what kind of activities might prove triggering to a resident and then finding other, more soothing activities to help them feel better.”According to Aida Oganesyan, director of the LAJH pharmacy, this kind of customized care has been critical to the new initiative’s success.“We reduce anti-psychotic medications on a case-by-case basis—and we only do it in concert with providing substantial support for each resident,” Aida says. “By being extremely measured in our approach and providing patient-centered care, we ensure that we’re only tapering residents from these drugs when they truly don’t need them.”Of course, this level of individualized care comes at a cost—one that is made manageable thanks to support from LAJH’s generous donor community.“We could not be doing this without help from our donors, whose contributions allow us to have a higher nurse-to-resident ratio than many nursing homes,” Dr. Marco says. “The additional staff—as well as the many volunteers, residents’ paid companions, and family members who sit with our dementia residents and keep them safe and calm—are far more effective than any medication.” 

Rey Lopez brings experience and community commitment to improving local seniorsʼ lives (RESEDA, CA – July 8, 2025) Los Angeles Jewish Health announced the appointment of Rey Lopez as its chief information officer. Lopez arrives at LAJH with two decades of experience strengthening information technology (IT) infrastructure in the medical field to enhance the delivery of high-quality patient care. Central to Lopezʼs portfolio at LAJH is building technology and business solutions to help the organization grow, to assist its employees to be more efficient in their jobs, and to safeguard residentsʼ health and wellbeing by protecting their sensitive personal health information and data.“Whether itʼs securing electronic health records, streamlining our payroll systems, or reducing cost and boosting the performance of our data reporting systems, there are so many ways we can harness technology to be more nimble and to provide LAJH stakeholders with new pathways to success,” Lopez said. LAJH Chief Information Officer Rey LopezLopez joins the LAJH leadership team at a critical time in the healthcare industry, as emerging technologies play a growing role in the provision of vital care and as concerns around protecting data privacy continue to require best practices in the field. His knowledge and expertise will help drive LAJHʼs strategic approach to effective data management. “We are pleased to welcome Rey as a member of the LAJH family,” said Dale Surowitz, LAJH CEO and president. “His commitment to safeguarding the health and privacy of our residents makes him a perfect addition to our leadership team.” Lopez arrives at LAJH after a long tenure as CIO at Kern Medical in Bakersfield and, before that, as Director of Information Systems, St. Joseph Medical Center at Providence Health & Services in Burbank. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he attended California State University, Northridge, graduating with a degree in business administration and management information systems. It was as a small business owner in the late 1990s—based in Encino, he consulted on issues related to workerʼs compensation—that Lopez developed an interest in pursuing a healthcare career. His new position at LAJH further deepens his connection to the San Fernando Valley, where he currently resides. “Iʼm so happy to be working in the Valley again, contributing to the community that I love,” Rey says. “Through LAJH, I look forward to helping make it an even better—and healthier—place to live.” 

Enhancing wellness and expanding impact are critical components of the work at Los Angeles Jewish Health. Through the highly acclaimed Annenberg School of Nursing (ASN), progress is occurring on both fronts, most recently with the opening of an additional location that is broadening the ability for ASN to prepare the next generation of nurses to serve seniors and others in need of quality healthcare.This new location, currently identified as ASN-LA, is part of a collaborative partnership between Los Angeles Jewish Health and AltaMed, one of the country’s largest community health networks. Based at AltaMed’s headquarters in City of Commerce, the new location will offer the Annenberg School of Nursing’s signature fast-paced, 12-month licensed vocational nursing (LVN) program. ASN-LA’s inaugural LVN class is scheduled to launch this August, with 24 students selected from among more than 200 applicants who applied for the chance to attend.“The demand for a nursing education—and for Annenberg-level training—is extremely high, and we’re thrilled to be increasing our capacity to reach more students than ever before,” says Amandeep Kaur (who has served as executive director of the Annenberg School of Nursing for more than seven years and logged nearly two decades of experience as a nursing instructor). “Combining our expertise and AltaMed’s footprint, ASN-LA will extend the pipeline of talented nurses even further across Southern California.”(Left to Right) LAJH CEO & President Dale Surowitz, ASN Executive Director Amandeep Kaur, ASN Board Member Armida Colmenares‐Stafford, and ASN Board Chair Sheldon Steier)The opening of ASN-LA is just one of many exciting developments underway at the Annenberg School of Nursing. Later this summer, the location of the school will be moving from its current location, on the corner of Sherman Way and Tampa, just across from LAJH’s Grancell Village Campus, to the Max Factor Building on the Eisenberg Village campus, located on the corner of Victory and Wilbur. The move marks a tremendous stride forward for the school, which will now occupy a much more clinically-aligned space, and paves the way for many future healthcare training initiatives to come.“This new space opens the door to so many opportunities for us, as we identify innovative ways to ensure nurses are ready for emerging challenges in healthcare,” Amandeep says. “It’s a new chapter full of possibility and progress!”That progress includes a simulation lab designed to bring clinical training to life. Equipped with four mid-to-high fidelity manikins, the lab replicates real-life patient scenarios, enabling students to practice critical thinking, clinical decision-making, and hands-on skills, all in a challenging yet quality-controlled immersive environment.“The lab is a dynamic space that mirrors a real-world healthcare setting and provides an engaging, interactive learning experience that prepares students for success in the field,” Amandeep says.LAJH CEO and President Dale Surowitz notes that these and other groundbreaking advances are helping the Annenberg School of Nursing continuously redefine excellence in nursing education.“We’re incredibly proud of the role we play in preparing the next generation of nurses to meet the growing demand for healthcare professionals,” he says. “The Annenberg School of Nursing is an unparalleled asset, not only for our students, but for the entire community, as it helps ensure more people receive high-quality care from these outstanding future nurses.” 

One secret to the success of Los Angeles Jewish Health has always been the talent and dedication of their leaders. This spring, LAJH added yet another outstanding staff professional to its administrative roster: Chief Information Officer Rey Lopez.Rey arrived at LAJH after a long tenure as CIO at Kern Medical Hospital in Bakersfield and, before that, as Director of Information Systems for St. Joseph Medical Center at Providence Health & Services in Burbank. For over two decades in the healthcare field, he has played a vital role in enhancing IT infrastructure, which in today’s medical field is critical in the delivery of high-quality patient care.“I love being part of this industry. The value of the work you put in makes such a difference to patients and others,” Rey says. “That was a huge part of what attracted me to LAJH: knowing I could provide critical support to residents, employees, and the entire community.”Central to his portfolio is building technology and business solutions to help LAJH grow, to assist its employees to be more efficient in their jobs, and to safeguard residents’ health and wellbeing by protecting their sensitive personal health information and data.“Whether it’s securing electronic health records, streamlining our payroll systems, or reducing cost and enhancing the performance of our data reporting systems, there are so many ways we can harness technology to be more nimble and to provide LAJH stakeholders with new pathways to success,” Rey says.Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Rey attended California State University, Northridge, graduating with a degree in business administration and management information systems. It was as a small business owner in the late 1990s—based in Encino, he consulted on issues related to worker’s compensation—that he developed an interest in pursuing a healthcare career.“As I began encountering issues related to employee injuries and the need for retraining, my eyes were opened to what a positive impact working in healthcare could have,” Rey says. “The people I was serving were getting a real, tangible benefit that could seriously improve their lives.”During his tenure at Providence, Rey got to know LAJH CEO and President Dale Surowitz, who was Providence’s CEO at the time. For Rey, having an opportunity to team up with Dale again was an important factor in his decision to accept the LAJH position.“I’d already had a front-row seat watching Dale run an organization,” Rey says. “Knowing what he’s done for the community, and getting another chance to collaborate with him, was a really big draw for me.”Rey’s new position at LAJH further deepens his connection to the San Fernando Valley, where he lives with his wife and two children, who are 11 and 14. He also has two older kids and is a proud grandfather of three.“I’m so happy to be working in the Valley again, contributing to the community that I love,” Rey says. “Through LAJH, I look forward to helping make it an even better—and healthier—place to live.” 

Los Angeles Jewish Health (LAJH) has long worked in close partnership with the state of California in helping to set the standard for comprehensive senior care. This spring, California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) announced an extension of this work by awarding LAJH $28 million to support the expansion of inpatient behavioral health services.The grant is funded through Proposition 1, a bond initiative passed by voters in 2024 to establish the state’s Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program (BHCIP). The award to LAJH is a vital step in addressing California’s growing senior behavioral health crisis at a time of intensifying need: California’ senior population is projected to double by 2040, and with it, the number of older adults experiencing behavioral health challenges (particularly those who are low-income, medically complex, or socially isolated) is rising sharply.This funding will support the expansion of inpatient behavioral health services for seniors“This grant is a transformational investment in improving the mental health of our community’s seniors, empowering us to expand access to high-quality, compassionate inpatient care for seniors in acute psychiatric distress,” said LAJH President and CEO Dale Surowitz. “We are tremendously proud of our past successes meeting seniors’ most critical healthcare needs, and we look forward to extending that track record of achievement in ways that will strengthen the fabric of our entire community.”Governor Newsom underscored the importance of Proposition 1 in his remarks announcing the awards.“Californians demanded swift action to address our state’s behavioral health crisis when they voted for Prop 1 in March 2024…and we’re delivering our biggest win yet,” he said. “Whether it’s crisis stabilization, inpatient services, or long-term treatment, we’re ensuring that individuals can access the right care at the right time.”This funding is part of California’s broader strategy to modernize the behavioral health system—increasing transparency, broadening access, and building the infrastructure necessary to provide a full continuum of care for individuals living with mental illness and substance use disorders. Through Proposition 1 and BHCIP, the state aims to create more than 6,800 new residential treatment beds and 26,700 outpatient treatment slots, addressing urgent gaps in care across every region of California.“Our seniors require the very best mental health care possible,” Dale said, “and this new grant helps ensure we will continue to deliver the care and compassion they deserve.”The expansion will take place in the Mark Taper Building on the Grancell Village campus